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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Gates Live

100 billionaires have signed the foundation’s “giving pledge,” promising to give away most of their wealth. ...... As for how governments help, the bulk of the money flowing to the world’s poorest countries comes from foreign aid budget ..... A researcher from London asked Gates if he thought about unintended consequences. Killing billions of mosquitos might prevent the spread of disease, for example, but there could be unintended consequences on the food chain. ... “I’m always glad there are people around to dampen my enthusiasm,” quipped Gates, who said he tends to focus on the good. He then said there are serious issues raised by the work of scientists and researchers. Bioterrorism is a real threat. Privacy is always a concern in an online, digital world...... “If you go out to the developed world and see kids dying of malaria, or see a woman who can send her kids to school because she has better crops, it’s hard to feel too bad about the general arc. Because I see how innovations can help, I mostly see the positive. But we should be aware of the negatives and how to mitigate them.”